Thick Italian Bean and Ditalini Soup

What you need

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 70 g (2 1/2 oz) pancetta, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) tomato passata
• 2 can (2 x 14 oz cans) cannellini beans, 400 g each, drained and rinsed
• 1.2 l (5 cups) chicken stock, or vegetable stock
• 1 piece parmesan rind, optional
• 150 g (5 oz) ditalini
• 40 g (1 1/2 oz) parmesan, finely grated, for serving
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until the fat runs and the edges colour, 4-5 min.

2. 2

   Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook gently until soft and sweet, 8-10 min.

3. 3

   Stir in the garlic, rosemary and bay leaf and cook until the garlic smells fragrant, about 1 min.

4. 4

   Pour in the passata and let it bubble for 2-3 min to lose its raw taste.

5. 5

   Add the beans, the stock and the parmesan rind, if using. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered for 20 min.

6. 6

   Remove the rosemary, bay leaf and rind. Scoop out about a third of the beans with some liquid, mash or blend them smooth, and stir them back in to thicken the soup.

7. 7

   Bring back to a steady simmer and add the ditalini. Cook, stirring often so nothing sticks, until the pasta is al dente, 9-11 min. Add a splash of hot water if it gets too thick.

8. 8

   Season with salt and black pepper, then take off the heat and rest for 5 min. It should be thick enough to eat with a fork or a spoon.

9. 9

   Ladle into bowls and finish each with a thread of olive oil and some grated parmesan.

Imported from askchefdennis.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.